Monday, February 26, 2007

Review: Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube*)

Graphics- 9.5/10
Sound-9.5/10
Gameplay-10/10
Replay Value- 9/10
Overall- 9.5/10

There are many who have left the Resident Evil series due to recent sub-par games. Not much faith was put in this game before it's release, yet people make mistakes. This game has not just surpassed people's expectations, but completely blown them away.

I remember not having much interest in this game. It seemed like nothing compared to what was out at the time, yet I reluctantly picked up the game. Before I start the actual review, I will tell you that this is one of the best games ever to come out.

The actual look of the game is great. Lots of deep color and great details surround you, emphasizing an edgy and exciting mood. The graphics, although not perfect, do a wonderful job of pleasing the gamers eyes. The sound, also adding to the edgy mood, is quite nice. Good, although not very memorable, music plays throughout the game. Also, creaky floors and ghostly sounds remind you that you're not alone. Now the gameplay comes in turn. And this is what the game truly perfects. A combination of adventure and over-the-shoulder shooting makes the gameplay addictive, fun, and very refreshing. Through the levels of villages, old castles, dungeons, and laboratories, you move around with your gun in hand, searching for items and clues and solving some interesting puzzles. Your character moves very smoothly and the camera moves with you and is very easy to use. The actual fighting, which there is plenty of, is amazingly intense. When you shoot, you hold the R trigger to aim, at this point the camera moves in close, over your shoulder, and you aim using the analog stick and shoot by pressing the A button. While aiming you can't move. This worried me at first, but it actually makes the game much more interesting, making you choose when to fight and when to retreat. Along with your knife, you'll get the chance to acquire a lot of interesting and very fun weapons. These include hand guns and revolvers to rifles and rocket launchers. You can purchase these weapons, ammo, items, and weapon attachments from dealers. The attachments are very fun to use and make the weapons much more fun and useful. You find things such as bigger ammo mags and scopes. After certain achievements and finishing the game you'll unlock certain items and weapons. These add ons and the game itself will keep you coming back for more. All in all, this is an amazing game. Buy it, play it, have fun.

Pros: Great gameplay, deep weapon customization. Very fun and a good length with a nice challenge.
Cons: Music could have been better.

Review: Vedran

*Also released for Playstation 2 - Review for Gamecube only.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Review: Mario Kart Super Circuit (GBA)

Graphics- 8/10
Sound- 7.5/10
Gameplay- 7/10
Replay Value- 8/10
Overall- 8/10

One of the first games released for the GBA and still one of the best available. This game is a great addition to the Mario Kart series, and while it has some great parts too, the difficulty level in this game is way too hard, especially as you increase CC's.

This is the first of three games I got for the GBA, (three because I was never really all that impressed with the GBA) and this really spoiled me, it set a standard for GBA game that was only achieved on a very low amount of games. When I started to play this game I was really impressed. The game seemed to capture what the Mario Kart series had been all about up to that point. The game appeared to provide a nice challenge with some really close races that had you jumping out of your seat. I played this game so much when I first got it, but then I finally started to move up in race difficulty and it felt like I hit a brick wall. The game got so ridiculously hard from that point on. I just could not move on to the next races, I would use my three retrys almost right away and it really made me angry... angry to the point that I gave up. I distinctively remember going back to the game a few years later figuring it would be easy because I had grown older and better. I was wrong - I still had trouble with lots of the levels. I might not of cared as much but the thing with this game was that it introduced the retry limit. In other words after you don't place you can only retry a maximum of three times. This would have been much better in Mario Kart 64, but in this game you need an unlimited amount like Mario Kart 64, whereas in Mario Kart 64 a limit should have been enforced.

The game includes - as usual - three modes, Time Trial, Single Race, and Grand Prix. Time Trial and Single Race are fine and dandy but the main point of the game is the Grand Prix. You start off with four different sets of tracks with four courses in each, giving you a total of 16 tracks to choose from and special cup which is unlocked. Some of tracks you may recognize from the previous two games in the Mario Kart series, while some are brand new and they are as well laid out as you would expect. As far as similarities with the other two games in the series, this game brings back the usage of coins that was present in the original SNES version but was unfortunately missing in the N64 version. Picking up coins will increase your top speed in the game; a nice touch but if you have trouble picking them up good luck on the more difficult races. The other similarity is that all of the items that appear in the original (minus the feather) are used in this game, and like before the items add a great touch and really do make the game/series what it is. One of the best features of the game is the graphics. While the characters aren't the greatest and the tracks can be rough at points, they are done really nicely for a portable system; the best graphics however are by far the background graphics, they are fantastic for a GBA game. Another good feature is the sound, more specically the sound effects. The characters "voices" are timed well and sound good as does the engine sound - but unfortunately the music isn't the greatest, the quality is really poor at points and can be distracting.

As far as characters go - they are the classic Nintendo characters you have grown to know and love over the years. Speaking of classic, the cups and tracks from the original are available as extra cups, through getting them is a chore. To unlock these cups, first the Special Cup must be unlocked, and then a gold trophy must be won in that cup. Then you must race in each cup again, winning a gold trophy and collecting 100 coins or more. The appropriate SNES courses are finally then unlocked and while this will keep you coming back, it is really hard. In the end this is a great game for a GBA but it is a little lacking. The game still manages to maintain most of the feel of the series and should be purchased.

Pros: Some graphics, Sound effects, Items, Coins, Characters.
Cons: Difficulty level increases, Retry system, Music.

Review: Dan

Friday, February 23, 2007

Review: Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando (PS2)

Graphics- 9.5/10
Sound- 9.5/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 9/10
Overall- 9.5/10

Ratchet and Clank are back. The folks over at Insomniac improved the gameplay mechanics, upgraded the graphics, and fixed the glitches from the previous game. With more to do, more weapons and gadgets, and simply more fun, this game should be owned by every PS2 owner.

The best word to describe why this game is better than the first: more. There are more weapons, more bolts, more levels, more destructible environments, more continue points (check points), more health... well, you get the picture. There is improved versions of things from the first game, like hoverbike races and the ability to control Clank. In the first game, there were hoverboard races, but there were only two of them, and there weren't any cash rewards for winning. Also, you could control Clank in the first game, but he wasn't as big of a part of the game the first time around. Also, the wrench combat has improved, and you get better wrenches throughout the game. Like I mentioned before, there are more bolts in the game. The hoverbike races provide a good way to earn cash, and the enemies drop more bolts. In the first game, levels usually warranted about 5000 bolts each. However, in Going Commando, levels can easily dish out 20,000 bolts, and, because I died a couple of times, I once got about 40,000 bolts, even after I had paid for all of the ammo I wasted. The biggest improvement, however, in my opinion, is the upgradeable weapons. The player is able to upgrade the weapons once during their first run-through, but not by purchasing better versions, like in the first game. They are upgraded by the usage, but the second time you play through, you can buy a better version (it costs a LOT of bolts, but you can get them fairly easily if you're good).

Gameplay wasn't the only thing that is better in this game, however. The graphics are improved, but the graphics in the first game were good already, so the difference may be hard to notice. Also, Going Commando features one of the best soundtracks in the series. The music completes the game, and sets the mood for the situation. However, the game isn't all good. First of all, the cleverly named RYNO II makes the game too easy. Even though the RYNO II is hard to get (unless you are in challenge mode), it takes out just about every non-boss character in the game in one hit. That isn't my biggest complaint about the RYNO II, though. The final boss is a challenge without the RYNO II. With the RYNO II, however, it takes literally only 20 hits to take it out. So with its high rate of fire, that takes about three seconds. No matter what the game is, the final boss battle should not take three seconds. Also, there are some times when the scenery gets in the way of the camera, making it act a little weird. And even though the single player is really good, I think some multiplayer would have been good, and would have helped the game. Despite those complaints, many people call this the best game in the series (I like #3 more because of online), and it is clear why. This game just has more of everything, and with the addition of multiplayer would have been just about perfect.

Pros: Better than the original in every way.
Cons: No multiplayer, RYNO II makes game too easy, camera can be a little screwy.

Review: Eric

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Review: San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing (N64*)

Graphics- 9/10
Sound- 2/10
Gameplay- 7.5/10
Replay Value- 7/10
Overall- 7/10
A good racing game with nicely done graphics. This will not be your first choice if you want to race your friends, but it should be considered. You should mute your television though.

When I got this game I was at an age where this game was amazing to me. I felt so cool driving a car so life-like, and, while they are pretty well done, the game is nothing special. It is a straight forward racing game with its big selling point being the graphics. The effort that went into recreating the streets of San Francisco is amazing and, as a result, the finished product looks really good. You can tell this because you are driving all over San Fransisco on any given track - in other words, there are a lot of shortcuts. When I say a lot I mean a lot, sometimes I have trouble remembering the way that you are supposed to go on the track. The high amount of shortcuts will lead you to play the course again because you think that if you take "shortcut B" verses "shortcut A" you can shave off a significant amount of time. Enough about the shortcuts, back to the graphics - the worst part of them is the collision damage. The crash damage is the same for every hit you get, and while I understand that it might have been hard to do incredibly realistic crash damage on a N64 it could have been way better and realistic. Along the lines of realism there is one thing in this game that isn't - the gravity... and that's fine by me. The air you can get in this game is unreal at points.

The problem with this game is how predictable it is. San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing does nothing new and does not appear to try to do anything new. You will probably find this game fun for a while but after you get good at it - well, the game will just go downhill from there. You may be thinking "What about multiplayer?" Sure, multiplayer is fun but if you are playing someone who hasn't played that many times, the race is no fun. You will end up absolutely owning your inexperienced friends because you have the shortcut knowledge that they so desperately need. The other negative feature of this game is the key collecting. It was kind of fun for a little while but the novelty soon wore off and I gave up on it. Do not get me wrong, you may love this feature, but I found it to be nothing more than an attempt to bulk up the game - and if you don't have a controller pack that's too bad because key collecting is truly pointless. However, the far and away worst feature is the sound, more specifically the music. It is absolutely shameful - mute your television except to hear the announcer say "It's Dangerous!!!" when you scroll over the harder to drive cars. In the end this would be a great bargain bin purchase. It will provide you with a few days of entertainment and not much more... except for the few times you friends will play multiplayer with you and unless they like to lose, they won't be playing it with you a lot.

Pros: "It's Dangerous!!", Graphics, Shortcuts, Exaggerated gravity.
Cons: Music, Collision damage graphics, Predictable.

Review: Dan

*Also released for Playstation - Review for N64 only.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Review: Everybody Votes Channel (Wii)

Overall- 6.5/10

A surprise addition to the Wii and while the Everybody Votes Channel boasts nothing special, it is a nice glance into future possibilities for Wii Channels.

A few days ago I was surprised by my glowing blue light on the Wii. If you don't already know this, that light alerts you to new received messages. My first thought was that it was just Nintendo sending me more crap about the whole wrist strap fiasco (which by the way, those are hilarious.) While I did get a letter about that I also got one from Nintendo saying that the "Everybody Votes Channel" was now available for download and it's free. After updating I downloaded it and started out. However, before I started I was under the impression that you the polls were based on Nintendo games or Wii games or just the Wii in general. I was very disappointed to find out that there no questions of that nature at all. Unfortunately all that was there were ditsy questions such as: "Do you prefer Cats or Dogs?" God, I don't think I could care any less. The other problem is your answer options: there are only two. While that may be fine for simple Cat or Dog style questions there will be lots of questions were the answer that represents you is simply not present (recent indications point to this changing). To add to that, many people criticize the number of polls that there are to vote in. While that is true, it will change over time and there will be plenty of polls to get involved in.

With those negatives being said, it is still a good time-waster much like the Forecast Channel and there are many positive features about it. You use your Mii to represent yourself when you vote and they are also you to represent ratios of the polls final outcome, which is something that you can become very interested in because you are given the option of predicting the outcome the polls and some are pretty challenging. You are given a percentage total based on your predictions and this will tell you how "in tune" you are. There is also a way to see how much your opinions differ from the norm which will give you the chance to make fun of all of your weirdo friends. Overall the Everybody Votes Channel is a fine time-waster, but doesn't really add a lasting effect to the Wii. I just cannot imagine anyone reading this and thinking, "Well, I must get a Wii now!" This does make me optimistic that Nintendo has plenty of tricks up their sleeves, channel-wise, and the more the better. You might as well download this, because its free.

Pros: Poll predictions, Mii, Shows future possibilities.
Cons: Poll questions are childish, Two answer options as of now.

Review: Dan

Monday, February 12, 2007

Review: Ratchet and Clank (PS2)

Graphics- 9/10
Sound- 9/10
Gameplay- 9/10
Replay Value- 8/10
Overall- 9/10

Just like Crash Bandicoot became the mascot for the PS1, Ratchet and Clank, along with Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper, became the mascots for the PS2. With a funny story line, unique weapons, and excellent gameplay, Ratchet and Clank was a very solid title for the PS2. Too bad it didn't have any multiplayer...

Ratchet and Clank is a very fun game, and an excellent start to the series. The story line is pretty creative, with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep you interested. Plus, it features something not too common: good voice acting. This really helps keep you involved in the story. Also, there is plenty of sarcastic humor spread throughout, keeping you entertained if you don't care about the story, since the cut scenes cannot be skipped. The game also gave Insomniac its reputation for unique weapons, like the Morph-o-ray, which transforms your enemies into chickens. These themes are brought back in the game's sequels.

However, something the sequels have that this game doesn't: multiplayer. This brings down the replay value, but since there is a lot to do in single player after beating the game for the first time, the category still gets a high score. Some of those things includes getting gold bolts, for buying gold weapons (upgraded versions), and getting skill points by completing unusual tasks. Another complaint is that it is rather difficult to earn bolts (the game's currency). You get the bolts by killing enemies and breaking open boxes. This isn't that much of a nuisance until you try to get the R.Y.N.O., the best weapon in the game. It costs 150,000 bolts, while the next expensive is 40,000, and isn't nearly as powerful. The R.Y.N.O. isn't a must-have weapon to beat the game, but it sure makes it a hell of a lot easier. And since you get an average of about 5,000 bolts each level, if traverse the entire level, it takes a long while to get that R.Y.N.O. While this does add another degree of challenge, it seems unnecessary to make it that hard.

The graphics in this game are very good. The cartoonish style fits the atmosphere perfectly. The environments are nice and big, and, although rather linear, leave a lot to be explored, as usually the gold bolts are hidden somewhere, sometimes obvious, sometimes not. There are some minor issues, such as clipping, and one time I shot an enemy halfway into a wall and it just strangely disappeared. The sound is also done well, from the previously-mentioned voice acting to the well-composed background music. I would say that this game is a must own, but frankly, the sequels are better, so, unless you care about the story leading up into those games, just buy them.

Pros: Humor, background music, creative weapons, good story line, good voice acting, challenging.
Cons: Minor graphical glitches, no multiplayer, takes too long to get money.

Review: Eric

Friday, February 9, 2007

Review: Beetle Adventure Racing! (N64)

Graphics- 10/10
Sound- 10/10
Gameplay 9/10
Replay Value- 4/10
Overall-8.5/10

This game features the best graphics that were achieved on the N64 (in my opinion). Pair that with the incredibly realistic style of racing along with some nicely laid out courses and you get a good game. It could have been a great game if multiplayer battle wasn't so bad.

It's a shame this game was released towards the end of the N64's run because it went largely unnoticed. To me this game should have created a pretty big buzz because of how good the graphics were, I mean some games on the Gamecube look worse than Beetle Adventure Racing!, especially at the start of the Cube. As soon as the first race starts I'm sure you'll understand what I'm talking about. The cars look fantastic and the courses are nicely done as well (come on, a T. Rex snapping his jaws at while you fly past him?!?!). Speaking of the courses, they are fantasticly designed ones, although there are only six of them. The lack of courses is a negative for sure, but the six that are available are so expertly layed out and visually stunning that I doubt you will care - not for a long while, at least. Along with the courses being layed out so well come the shortcuts, and let me tell you there are plenty in the game. In fact there are so much it won't be a matter of taking them, it turns into a matter of which ones to take, which can take up a lot of your time right there (not in a bad way.) Most of the shortcuts themselves are really cool, from smashing through a casino and a hotel to navagating your way through crystal caves, all of shortcuts add a great element to each course and the game overall.

The biggest problem in this game isn't the lack of courses, it's the multiplayer battle. The courses are way too big. You spend more time looking at the radar than at the actual battle. The courses are so poorly designed you'll soon be asking for the good compact courses of Mario Kart 64. The other problem with multiplayer is when you actual want to race someone you don't have the option of racing against computers. On that line the replay value is very very low - after you have beaten the main courses... well, that's it. Those are the only major problems, but to me, this game was a great step forward and nothing more. There were some great concepts in this game. There was the bonus point; throughout the level and it's shortcuts there are boxes that if you smash through will give you bonus points, enough of these and you get a continue. The other unique feature was the engine sound, every car had it's own unique engine sound which is a great idea because after awhile you get bored of hearing the same engine for what seems like ever. Going with the sound, the music is also really good, as is the stereotypical seventies announcer. In the end it's a great single player game for a long time but multiplayer will bore you rather quickly.

Pros: Graphics, Unique engine sounds, Shortcuts, Bonus points system.
Cons: Multiplayer, Lack of replay value.

Review: Dan

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Review: Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

Graphics- 10/10
Sound- 10/10
Gameplay 9/10
Replay Value- 7/10
Overall-9/10

A great game for the N64, that while seems to appeal to little kids, should not be overlooked by older gamers. Some have compared this game to Super Mario 64, and while similar it adds its own unique features, and it is really well done.

Many people say that this is Super Mario 64 only with minor changes. While the two are very similar they are not the same game. Super Mario 64 redefined gaming as we know it and Banjo-Kazooie simply did not. However don't misinterpret that to mean it's a bad game, it's still a great game. This game adds many of its own features and of course bumps up the graphics, which by the way are stunning. The graphical style is similar to Super Mario 64 in the cartoonish sense, but you can just see the improvements. Not only are graphics bumped up but the environment it decidedly bigger, almost rivaling Ocarina of Time, it's huge and well laid out. The general idea of this game also appears to be borrowed from Mario 64, you have go through levels and collect jigsaw pieces... stars anybody? There are, however, new things that you have to collect in order to proceed in the game. There are musical notes which open up new sections of the game which is where you use jigsaw pieces to open up new worlds (it makes sense when you play it.) With new a collecting style, unfortunately comes a problem - there is too much to collect. There are Mumbo's Tokens, Jinjos, Eggs, Red Feathers, Gold Feathers, Extra Lives, and Honeycomb Energy. All that in addition to the required notes and puzzle pieces, this can lead to pre-stage planning, which can sometimes restrict you from exploring.

The only other problem with this game is its difficulty. The first two or three levels are a snap, but from there the difficulty races skyward at an ungodly pace. While some elements remain easy, some of the things required for jigges (jigsaw pieces) are really hard, especially collecting all the notes in each world. However you might not mind because of the discovery aspect. At first some of the stages may appear simply mapped and straight forward, you will soon discover many unfound gems that will keep you coming back. That being said, the last level is an amazing concept, well laid out, and brilliantly done. Part of the reason that it's done so well is your transformation in that stage. You see, the reason you collect Mumbo's Tokens is because good old Mumbo himself will transform you into various animals in certain stages; these include termite, crocodile, walrus, a pumpkin, (the exception to the animal thing) and a bee. That isn't the best feature of the game however. Some might argue that it's the graphics, but I say the sound by a mile. While there is no voice acting, none is needed - the music speaks for itself. This music sets the tone so well, it could be compared to Ocarina of Time. I could try and describe but I would deem it indescribable and not only is the music good, the sound effects are on the same remarkable level. Bottom line: buy this game... it's a shame it won't be on the VC.

Pros: Sound, Graphics, Gameplay, Mapping, Transformations.
Cons: Difficulty level rises too quickly, lots of collecting.

Review: Dan

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Review: WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Wii)

Graphics- 8/10
Sound- 6/10
Gameplay 9/10
Replay Value- 6/10
Overall-7/10

A good use of the Wiimote, but unfortunately it might be to hard for some. The game also moves really quickly, maybe too quickly. The lack of multiplayer is killer.

I was very excited about this game when I bought it, however I noticed almost right away there was no multiplayer, which I strongly expected there to be. I was discouraged, but still decided to purchase it anyways. One of the first things that I noticed was that this game incorporates your Mii's into it, which as you know I really like. The other thing I noticed was that you have the choice of right-handed or left-handed, which I do expect to see a lot in future Wii games. As I got to the actual gameplay I realized the graphics were... unique, I guess that they could be described as trippy. While the graphics won't win any awards, they are what you expect from this game. When you are starting a challenge there is a command thrown up on the screen and you are expected to know what to do. While it was fine most of the time, sometimes I had no idea what to do, because I looked away or didn't understand. If I didn't understand some of the commands, I imagine a lot of other people will too. However, the thing that bothered me the most was the stupid story line. Half the time I have no idea what the hell is going on and the other half makes absolutely no sense.

With all that being said this is still a good game. Many of the challenges make good use of the Wiimote and are really fun and you will want to play again. There is also a option to play some mini-games, not the game's mini-games, a new set of mini-games (confused?). On top of that if you get bored you can always listen to the hilarious description on how to hold the "Form Baton" (the Wiimote.) You also have the ability to go back and replay challenges, or practice them if you have to. All this and I forgot to mention the added benefits of really getting into the game. While some people will end up looking like... well, you know, but it can make the game really fun and actually help you with certain challenges. Even while I type this I can't help but to think what this game would have been like with multiplayer. It would have been sooooo much fun. I still recommend this game, that is if you can handle this intense gaming action (kidding).

Pros: Many Good mini-games, How to hold the Wiimote description, Good uses of the Wiimote.
Cons: No multiplayer, Some mini-games suck, Not for all ages.

Review: Dan

Preview: MotorStorm (PS3)

From what is shown in the demo, MotorStorm looks to be a very good racing game. The player takes place in a tournament set in Monument Valley. The graphics are looking very good at the moment, and could be improved by the day it's released. The environment looks very realistic and expansive. The soundtrack, although I have only heard two or three songs, sounds good. Hopefully they will have added more songs though, by the time the game is released.

But now what the game is all about: gameplay. The controls are tight and the steering is responsive. The game also allows you to use the motion-sensing capabilities of the controller, but most of the time it is too sensitive and takes some getting used to. The game also features excellent AI. The opponents are supposed to have a "memory," so if you bump into the opponent, they will bump back into you. And if you keep running into an opponent, they will supposedly seek out revenge at any cost, even if it means losing the race. Also, there are some nifty features that are added in the game. If you are on a motorbike, you can punch other racers of of their bikes. Also, if you are in a truck, and you honk your horn, other racers on smaller cars will get out of your way to not be run over. There are plenty of types of vehicles to race with, which should lead to many hours of gameplay. There is also supposed to be a good variety of tracks, but only one was playable in the demo.

What's Good: Graphics, AI, variety of vehicles.
What Could Be Better: Soundtrack.

Expected Overall- 9/10

Preview: Eric

Review: Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (PS2)

Graphics- 10/10
Sound- 9/10
Gameplay- 8.5/10
Replay Value- 8.5/10
Overall- 9/10

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is a solid RPG from Square Enix. The game features excellent graphics, a good story line, and a huge world to explore, but the game moves too slow in some parts to be enjoyed by every one. I highly recommend this game for fans of the RPG genre, but for fans of more fast-paced games, this might be a pass.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King has excellent cel-shaded graphics. Most of the time, however, the graphics don't look like cel-shaded graphics. The designers did a very good job with this, and make the game look absolutely stunning. Plus, the characters in the game were designed by the creator of Dragon Ball, so they are very well done. In addition to the graphics, the game also has a great soundtrack. It sounds really good and fits in well with the situations in the game.

The gameplay in Dragon Quest VIII is what one would expect from a Dragon Quest game. There is plenty to explore and the combat is turn-based. However, a new addition to Dragon Quest VIII is the way to level up your character's stats. For every level you gain, you attribute points to spend on your character. This allows you focus on one type of combat style you like best. However, some people might think they are smart by creating a well-balanced character with a few points in each category. I highly advise against this, because this makes you just okay in all categories, instead of amazing in one or two.

Also, this game's story has a tendency to move too slowly. Often times you will find that you must up your level by two or three just to complete the next part in the story. This isn't very bothersome in the beginning of the game, when it is easy to level up, but after a while, when you need to do forty battles to level up once, this gets rather annoying. This leads to the game getting too repetitive for me, and distracts from the story, which is rather good. RPG fans may be able to endure this, but fans of more fast-paced games, this may become too boring. Plus, there are some points in this game (particularly after you get the boat) where you may have no idea where to go. Right when you get the boat, you can travel to some of the hardest places in the game, and the place you are supposed to go is on the opposite side of the map. All in all, though, if you are an RPG fan, this game is a must have. For everyone else, consider my complaints and try to figure out if this game is right for you. (The Final Fantasy XII demo was also once a good selling point, but since it came out already...)

Pros: Excellent cel-shaded graphics, nice orchestral soundtrack, plenty to do.
Cons: Gets repetitive, story moves too slow.

Review: Eric

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Review: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PSP*)

Graphics- 9.5/10
Sound- 10/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 8/10
Overall- 9/10

The graphics on this game are great, as well as the gameplay. This is essentially just a port of GTA III, seeing as it has the same map and missions. The game stays true to past GTA's and is done really well on the PSP.

A portable GTA? Are you kidding me? This is a great reason to buy a PSP, because there are those times that you are sitting on a bus and you think "Man I'd really like to kill some people and then run from the cops." Well, Liberty City Stories will solve that problem rather well. The game is really fun to pick up and play which is great for a PSP game. The best feature on this game is by far the graphical aspect of the game this game appears to take full advantage of all 1.8 Gigabytes available (I doubt it really does though.) The gameplay stays true to GTA games of the past although the shooting controls should be reversed. The other aspect of this game that is on another level is the sound. The game has incredible voice acting as well as great sound affects that are timed just fine and won't strangely overlap. Missions in this game can be quite challenging at points, however... you can always cheat... but you wouldn't do that, would you? As far as missions go, there are a huge amount that will keep you entertained for hours. If you are really stuck on a mission, or just don't care about mission completion you can always download a save state.
The only little negative thing about this game is the lack of obvious replay value. By obvious replay value I mean that there are side missions that you can do, but if you aren't aware of them you might not be able to find them. After that there is nothing to do mission-wise, however there is always that GTA staple of going on a total rampage. Although getting far in those can be hard at first until you unlock more area (parts of the map are locked until you complete certain missions). There some small graphical errors and glitches in the original version, but they are patched up nicely in the greatest hits version (no hacking though...) Bottom Line: this is the top selling game on the PSP for a reason, it's a remarkable achievement for a portable system, graphical and overall. If you are old enough or your parents are cool and will let you buy it (it's rated "M" for a reason people), do so immediately.

Pros: Graphics, Audio, Mission selection.
Cons: Minor graphic errors in original, Some missions are really challenging.

Review: Dan

*Also available for PS2 - Review for PSP only.

Friday, February 2, 2007

Review: Mario Kart 64 (N64*)

Graphics- 8/10
Sound- 9.5/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 8/10
Overall- 9/10

Mario Kart 64 is the best Mario Kart game in the series - out of the five that have been released (not including arcade releases.) The single player in this mode is challenging on 150cc but nice and easy on 50cc, just as it should be. The multiplayer battle is entertaining and will keep you and your friends playing for a while.

Mario Kart 64 is the non-serious racing game to own. The cars in this game aren't meant to a huge graphical achievement, nor are the characters. This is simply a good racing game to casually pick up and play, but be careful because before long, you will be hooked. You get hooked so easy because of how close the races end up being. Especially as the races get closer, they sometimes end up being decided right at the finish line. I can remember races that I won because I fired a red shell and Bowser was stopped inches short of the finish line. That reminds me of two other great aspects of this game: the weapons and characters. Much like Diddy Kong Racing, there is as great weapon set that is incorporated. There is the green shell, red shell, blue shell, mushrooms, fake item boxes, bananas, lighting, Boo, and the star. While some do the typical and expected, such as the shells acting as missiles, but some of the items are very unique, such as the lighting, which will shrink all the karts other than the person who used it. This allows the person who used it to go faster than them and run them over. The characters in the game are all characters that you should recognize from past Nintendo titles.

The problem with this game is the graphics, and while there are some vast improvements for the SNES version, there are some things that appear to be the same. The big one being the characters; since the characters are pre-rendered they might look okay at first, but when you turn you can tell how bad they are. The other big graphical problem is the edges of some courses. There are solid walls of repeated images; I much prefer the invisible wall to that. There are some minor clipping problems but nothing that should affect or distract you to much. All of that aside, this is definitely a great purchase or download from the Virtual Console (although apparently you can not save ghosts, which is where Nintendo REALLY f***ed up), but still worth it.

Pros: Close races, Weapon set, Characters
Cons: Character rendering, Solid walls vs. Invisible walls, No memory pack on VC

Review: Dan

*Also available for download on the VC - Review based on original.

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Review: Diddy Kong Racing (N64)

Graphics- 8.5/10
Sound- 9.5/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 9/10
Overall- 9/10

Diddy Kong Racing is an excellent racing game for kids and adults alike. This game has a very distinctive feel to it and has a great adventure format that will keep you coming back for more. There is, of course, the superb multiplayer aspect of the game that is a great time with your friends.

One of the unique features of this game is the adventure mode. Instead of the standard race selection screen we have grown accustomed to, you are dropped in the middle of a field and you have to drive to different locations were different areas are. The other nice feature is that you are allowed to go to different races at different times. In other words, if you have enough balloons (points) you are allowed to go to any race you want, verses the straight forward progression that has become common in racing games. After you beat each "world" you can take on the boss for that world, which is essential a big animal that races really well. Another great feature of this game is the vehicle selection. In this game you aren't restricted to just a car, you can also choose from a plane or hovercraft, and the controls vary for each, just as they should. There is also a great cast of characters whom you may not be familiar with but they will grow close to you over time, and just as I like, each character has there own strengths and weaknesses (top speed, acceleration, etc.) .

There is also a great weapon set that is incorporated. When you run through different color balloons you get different types of weapons. A red balloon is a missile, a blue is a boost, a green is an obstacle dropper, a yellow is a shield, and a rainbow balloon: special (a magnet attack that pulls you towards an opponent. Mentioning these attacks leads me to the massively fun multiplayer. There is of course the standard race mode but there is also the battle mode. In the standard battle mode you are set in nicely designed courses with balloons and you have to survive. The addition to this is the two courses in which you have to collect a certain amount of bananas (or eggs) before the other people. However this mode does get boring after a while. The only other problem is that your reward for beating adventure mode is "Adventure 2" which is "Adventure" but backwards (Erutnevda?...) While it's fine for a while you will get bored of it unless you are a fan of perfect completion. Don't let that discourage you from buying this game, however, because it is a great single and multiplayer game.

Pros: Adventure mode, Character selection, Multiplayer, Weapon set, Boss races.
Cons: Adventure 2 is nothing special, Collecting eggs/bananas gets boring.

Review: Dan